True Forms
by Badger the Gnome
Summary: Xavin struggles to become not only herself, but the woman Karolina dreams of. Alternate Universe, with Xavin/Karolina, Chase/Gert, implied Nico/Victor, obviously femslash and fat-positivity.
1. Chapter 1

**True Forms** – a _Runaways_ AU

By Lady Comet

_Disclaimer_ – none of these characters belong to me, they are already the property of Marvel Comics and the people who created them. If they were mine, though, things would totally happen this way.

_Spoilers_ - …for pretty much everything after the Pride is defeated. Sorry that's so nonspecific, but hey, I need to cover my ass.

_Note_ – do NOT read this if you are anti-fat, homophobic, or otherwise prejudiced. I change a few canon things to reflect what I'd like to see, in both the origins of certain characters and their fates, creating my own little Alternate Universe for them. If you're still cool with that, read on, and I hope you like. 0

* * *

True Forms – Part 1

Celebrations were not held at Xavin's birth.

Her father, De'zean, prince of the Skrull, had expected something else. The Skrulls were at war, and strength was necessary. Any sign of weakness was ridiculed at best, punished extensively at worst. The only body type that was acceptable, unless one was only shifting temporarily for espionage, was a perfectly muscled one. Gender did not matter, but every man and woman had to show a form totally dedicated to strength, displaying a spirit inside the body that was ready to fight to the death for the victory of their race.

So when his princess Abhita gave birth to a _chubby_ little female, he was not exactly pleased.

Then one year later, De'zean led the Skrulls to attack Earth, and everything changed.

They were stopped by two Majesdanians living on Earth in human disguise. In return for sparing their world, they pointed the Skrulls toward their home planet, which they had sought to conquer and plunder for years. De'zean was not confident of their offer at first, unable to tell whether the coordinates they provided would really lead to Majesdane. However, as assurance that they were telling the truth, the "Deans" offered their only daughter, not even a year old, as a bride to the Skrull leaders. They assumed that as rulers of such a militaristic race, De'zean and Abhita would have a male heir, not a female one.

The Skrulls did not correct them, and took two days to decide upon it.

"A Majesdanian bride would give us much leverage in the conquest of that planet," Abhita advised her husband.

"But they do not know we have a _daughter_," De'zean countered, "and while gender does not matter to us, it will matter to them. The intelligence we have collected on these two Majesdanians reveals that they are very prejudiced, and among that prejudice is homophobia."

"Then for their purposes, we shall have a _son_ instead."

The prince agreed, and the Skrulls moved on to attack the Majesdanian homeworld. Three years later, the esteemed warlords told their daughter what had happened, and showed her a picture of Karolina, the small girl that would grow to be her bride.

"But you must be a _man_ to her, Xavin," her mother warned. "There is not much tolerance for ambiguity on that planet, and her parents will have passed that intolerance down to her. Besides, she cannot shapechange, and one of you will need to be male in order for your joining to produce heirs. Do you understand?"

Already fascinated by the blond-haired child so unlike herself, Xavin agreed, shifting her body to masculine form for the first time.

Soon afterward, the child had to begin preparations for the life expected of "him." Despite his "extra weight," which he shapeshifted away once he knew how, Xavin took to combat with fervor unmatched in his early years. He enjoyed it, but deep inside, he knew he was doing it to please a father who had not approved of the body he was given. To make matters worse, he did not get much attention from his parents at all. Both of them had little time for their child, as the war with Majesdane took up all of their attention. Because of the war, too, they expected Xavin to become a great warrior - an example to his people. They left his parenting to tutors and mentors who would train him to follow that path. This left little time for friends, or anything other than training for what his parents wanted of him. Approval could only come from one place – success on the battlefield. So for that he trained, pouring his whole life into it.

His childhood was thus a cold one. He grew stern and serious, not playful, and while he longed for compassion, he knew not to expect it anywhere in his world. He rarely let himself slip into his true form, and when he did, he found that this female body seemed to naturally put on weight. The "baby fat" had not disappeared, and by the time he was almost into his adolescence, he was sure that he would always have more flesh to his body than his father wanted. From then on, the time he spent in his natural form without any shapechanged adjustments became even less. Only for brief moments would he relax into his birth-given female appearance, curving with soft flesh that signified a comfort no Skrull was allowed to have. At the onset of puberty, he started his Super-Skrull training as a future prince, not a princess. Even when the war raged, and both De'zean and Abhita were claimed by it, Xavin remained a man and took his father's place, not his mother's, ruling their people.

Only two years passed between the death of his parents and his decision to seek Karolina. In that time, the battle continued, claiming thousands of Skrulls and Majesdanians alike with neither side gaining any ground. Even though the Skrulls were ruthless and powerful, it was obvious, at least to their Prince, that to continue this war would mean death for them all. He had sent some spies to keep an eye on Karolina a few months before his decision, but had not intended to draw her into the conflict. However, on the day that he realized this war could not be won, one of his spies sent him an image of Karolina in her natural form, which she had started assuming in place of her human disguise.

As he stared at the hologram, he was lost for words. He had seen Majesdanians before, of course, seen their light and shining bodies, felt the warmth that radiated from inside of them. Despite that, the whole race combined was nothing compared to the beauty and grace of the woman Xavin looked upon now.

"A Majesdanian bride," he whispered, shifting unconsciously back into his thick female form in that moment of awe. He caught himself, and changed back, the idea settling into his mind. He would go to Earth, seek her out, and bring her back here to marry him. The marriage of a Majesdanian and a Skrull was the only hope of mending this conflict.

* * *

It was made very clear to Karolina Dean from a very early age that fat was bad. Her mother didn't necessarily diet, as their family's eating habits were always healthy and nutrition-conscious, but she would often badmouth other actresses who seemed to have gained weight.

"Ugh, look at Tina," she'd grumble in disgust as she and her husband watched their rivals on other shows. "She looks like she's put on at least ten pounds. Pleeeeease KILL me if I ever look like that disgusting cow, Frank."

"Leslie, dear, you're perfectly slim," he'd smile, then turn a wrinkled nose to their colleague on the TV screen. "I know you'll never let yourself go like that."

This cemented in Karolina's young mind that being fat, and all the "big" words associated with it, was a fate worse than death. Throughout her childhood and into her teenage years, she ate consciously small meals, watching a figure that would have remained thin naturally. Though she never joined in on her parents' ridicule of fat people, their comments made her look at her own body with more scrutiny, policing it for even a pinch of extra flesh. She avoided looking at the fat people she passed on the street, and was even sometimes uncomfortable around Gertrude when their families met at the Wilder home every year. She hated it, this part of herself that judged others, but she could not stop herself. She had been well taught.

Then she started figuring out that she might be a lesbian, and she hated her body even more. Her parents had also made it clear that they thought homosexuality was disgusting, clearly oblivious to the possibility that their own daughter might turn out to be gay. Knowing this, the desires stirring in her body and heart made Karolina sick. She tried to deny it, but it was impossible when she noticed constantly that women were beautiful, and even more impossible when Nico was around. So she kept it a secret, internalizing the fear of her own sexuality and her body itself, deep down just wanting to be loved.

That is, until a certain Skrull "prince" entered her life, showing her that she might be lovable after all.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**True Forms** – a _Runaways_ AU

By Lady Comet

_Disclaimer_ – none of these characters belong to me, they are already the property of Marvel comics and the people who created them. If they were mine, though, things would totally happen this way.

_Spoilers_ - …for pretty much everything after the Pride is defeated. Sorry that's so nonspecific, but hey, I need to cover my ass.

_Note_ – do NOT read this if you are anti-fat, homophobic, or otherwise prejudiced. I change a few canon things to reflect what I'd like to see, in both the origins of certain characters and their fates, creating my own little Alternate Universe for them. If you're still cool with that, read on, and I hope you like o

* * *

True Forms – Part 2

Sitting in the cockpit of her small spacecraft, her faint reflection showing a beautiful human woman more unlike herself than the male form she had been assuming since childhood, Xavin stifled a sigh that would have given away both relief and worry. Karolina was somewhere behind her, exploring the small space they shared. It was going to be a long trip home, but at least she was here, and there was a chance.

To say things had not gone as expected would have been a huge understatement. She had expected that Karolina would have known she would come for her, would have been prepared by her parents. That she would have wanted to see her fiancé as a man. As she had hunted them down, and watched Karolina interact with and say goodbye to her friends, Xavin had studied them carefully. There were only two other women her age in the group, both human girls. One was a thin woman, as was deemed attractive by Earthlings in that part of the world. The other was…bigger, _fat_, she thought, struggling to recall the word in their language. A body much like the one she herself was born with. Karolina obviously shared a bond with both of them, but preferred the thinner girl. Xavin was relieved, of course, that her Majesdanian companion was attracted to women. The issue of gender, then, would not be a problem. However, it would have been nice if she didn't have to worry about her size, at least in private, with the woman she knew she was already falling in love with.

Karolina slid into the seat beside her, continuing to stare breathlessly at the stars. "They're so beautiful…" she said, clearly not to anyone in particular.

"Yes," Xavin replied anyway. "But you, Magnificent One, are far more."

Karolina looked at her, pink glowing through the rest of her many colors to indicate a blush on her cheeks. Xavin smiled, controlling herself so she wouldn't blush too. Karolina was charming, but she could not let down her armor yet. Too much was at stake.

They both returned to their own thoughts then, Xavin's actions focused on flying the ship while Karolina set her eyes outward. It was very hard not to look at her, to gaze on that beautiful face and the awe and wonder on her features. She wanted nothing more, in that moment, than to give her the world. She wanted to be the woman Karolina had always dreamed of.

However, she reminded herself, her people were used to a Prince now, and no matter how often Skrulls changed appearance, there were still some things that needed to stay fixed, especially in wartime. The marriage of a man and a woman, not two women, would also mean the possibility of heirs. That possibility may have been slim, due to their different species, but it would still symbolize hope for the future. If Karolina agreed to marry her, she would have to marry her in male form, in a ceremony in front of both their peoples.

Xavin stifled another sigh. She obviously had much more to worry about than the size of her body.

One step at a time, she told herself firmly. Then she chanced a look at Karolina again, and found the girl staring right back at her.

"What is it?" she asked."

Karolina blushed again. "Nothing, I…its nothing, Xavin." She smiled, and the prince found herself smiling back.

She reached across the space between their seats and took her future bride's hand, lifting the slender fingers cautiously to her lips. "We will be there soon, my love, I promise."

* * *

Months passed as Karolina learned about her people and their power, while Xavin negotiated the possibility of a truce based on their marriage. She showed the naïve Majesdanian new wonders every day, expressing her love and adoration as much as she knew how, which was difficult for someone so trained to violence and hardship. When they were together in public, Xavin took her male Skrull shape for the war-torn people who knew her as a man. "He" knew this made Karolina uncomfortable, and this sometimes hurt him. After all, he had accepted her for who she was, so why was she unable to accept all of him in return? He understood, however, that Karolina was a lesbian and could never be attracted to him in a male body, no matter how much love was between them. This was not something she could change, which he knew and had come to accept.

The whole situation would have been a whole lot simpler if Xavin could just revert to her natural form and stay that way, but he remained their Prince instead of Princess because such a change in this time of turmoil would only cause more confusion and conflict. A few other Skrull knew her as she really was, or close to it, but as a whole her people were used to their _male_ ruler. Despite this, Xavin did take her female human appearance every time she and Karolina were alone, trying to spend as much time with her in that form as possible. She had vowed not to force Karolina into their marriage, but that did not mean she was barred from trying to win her heart.

As for Karolina, she continued to be charmed by the woman Xavin was slowly proving herself to be. She thought she had been in love with Nico when she left Earth, which might have been true, but what she was beginning to feel for Xavin was so much deeper. The fact that she was willing to risk the fate of her entire race on the chance that they would fall in love meant a lot to her. And there was such kindness, such gentle love beneath the stern exterior the "prince" showed to everyone else. Once she saw that, it was hard not to fall for such a person, no matter what the circumstances.

It still took her weeks to gather the courage to kiss Xavin, though she had already tried to kiss her once. She had pushed her away, apologizing but insisting she wasn't ready yet. Xavin simply nodded her head and told her she understood, leaving it up to her to make the first move. As it happened, Karolina got courageous enough at an inconvenient and unexpected time. Xavin was explaining the history of the Kree-Skrull conflict to her, and while speaking, her nose kept crinkling up with distaste in the most adorable way. It was very distracting, and before she knew what she was doing, Karolina had leaned across the table and stopped the Skrull mid-sentence by sealing her lips gently over her open mouth.

After that, the kisses didn't seem to ever stop, and neither of them minded.

Then one day, Xavin returned from his Super-Skrull training to find Karolina sitting on his bed, waiting for him. "He" shifted into his human female form immediately, crossing the space between them to her love's open arms.

"Is everything all right, my Magnificent One?" she asked, brushing a strand of rainbow hair our of her fiancé's eyes.

In response, Karolina kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss, and when they surfaced for breath, she said softly,

"I love you, Xavin. And I will gladly marry you."

Xavin laughed, a jovial and light sound despite her deep timbre, one that most people did not get to hear. She lifted the Majesdanian off of the bed and spun her around, the room becoming a swirl of colors. It was going to be all right, after all her work. There would be peace.

But in her heart, none of that really mattered. All that was important was that after everything and despite of it, the woman she had come to love more than she thought possible of herself had come to love her too.

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

**True Forms** – a _Runaways_ AU

By Lady Comet

_Disclaimer_ – none of these characters belong to me, they are already the property of Marvel comics and the people who created them. If they were mine, though, things would totally happen this way.

_Spoilers_ - …for pretty much everything after the Pride is defeated. Sorry that's so nonspecific, but hey, I need to cover my ass.

_Note_ – do NOT read this if you are anti-fat, homophobic, or otherwise prejudiced. I change a few canon things to reflect what I'd like to see, in both the origins of certain characters and their fates, creating my own little Alternate Universe for them. If you're still cool with that, read on, and I hope you like o

* * *

True Forms – Part 3

It was disastrous. The ceremony had barely begun before an argument started between two of the guests, erupting into chaos. Karolina could hardly believe it. She was walking down the aisle, towards the assembly of bridesmaids and groomsmen who surrounded Xavin as he waited for her on the altar. It was odd, she thought, that a Skrull wedding ceremony was so similar to a Christian one. All that was lacking was a priest.

Her thoughts were cut short as the argument began, and she turned her head to listen. A Skrull woman had called the bridesmaids' dresses ugly, and the man next to her, a Majesdanian, took great offense at this insult to his peoples' fashion. Before anyone could even take a breath they were in battle, and all guests of both races joined in to help their brother or sister in arms. Terrified, she ran to Xavin, who stared dumbfounded and hopeless from the altar. Some of the bridesmaids and groomsmen had started fighting too, and many were already dead.

"What should we do?" she asked breathlessly, her face pale from the horror before them.

Xavin looked at her, clearly lost. "I…I don't know."

Their heads snapped to the right as a scream of rage sounded beside them. A young Skrull man rushed toward Karolina, weapon in hand. Xavin had banned anyone from bringing weapons to the ceremony, but one look at the crowd and carnage proved that few had obeyed him. Karolina used her power to shield herself just in time, and blasted the man back against the wall. He hit it hard, sliding down to collapse in a crumpled heap. She let out a stifled cry, turning again to Xavin.

The Skrull prince did not let himself think. He grabbed Karolina's hand, and before anyone else could attack them, pulled her off the altar and behind him as they lifted off the group and sped away. She followed willingly, and within moments they were at the nearest hangar. A small spacecraft similar to the one Xavin had used the first time he traveled to Earth was only a few hundred feet away. They streaked over to it, and Xavin turned his arm to orange stone to rip the door off its hinges. As they climbed inside, and he rushed to the controls, he could hear Karolina grunt as she used her power to melt the metal of the door back in place. She slid into the seat beside him as he got the ship's engines running. Neither of them spoke as it took off, speeding recklessly through the hangar and out the door that opened for them.

It took them moments to get away. Only when Majesdane was a speck in the distance, and they were sure no one was following them, did either of them speak.

"We ran away," Karolina whispered.

Xavin let out a deep, long breath. "Yes."

She looked at him, struggling to find words. The tears in her dress, made by attacks she didn't even know had happened, were testament to what would have happened if they had stayed. Their union was supposed to make peace between their worlds – if they had remained, they would have been attacked further. Their people would have tried to kill them, and might have succeeded. In these past few months, she had grown more confident, not only in spirit but also in body as she was free to truly be herself. Now she felt all that confidence sapped from her. But as she looked at the blank face of her betrothed, she knew that what she felt must be nothing compared to his loss.

She reached over and laid her hand over his, which gripped tight on the ship's controls. "Xavin…I am so sorry."

He shifted into the female human guise she was familiar with, but did not raise or turn her head to look at her. "There was nothing to be done, beloved," she flatly replied. "If we had stayed, they would have –"

"I know," she interrupted, not wanting to hear the words. Knowing it was hard enough. "It isn't your fault, honey."

She nodded her head, but said nothing.

Hours passed, and eventually Karolina fell asleep, totally exhausted from the shock of the day's events. Xavin kept herself focused on piloting, trying not to let herself think. Eventually, in the silence, she failed. _Failing…something I seem to be good at_, she thought bitterly. She knew that Karolina was right – it was not her fault that all her work to create peace had shattered and been for nothing. It was hard, however, not to feel that way. She had to face a hard reality; both the Majesdanians and her own people were nearly destroyed by the war already. It was not likely that many people from either race would survive the renewal of the conflict. Either way, she had fled. She could not go back to Tarnax VII even if her people were able to return. They would kill her for deserting them. Majesdane would also likely be destroyed, so Karolina was homeless too. They were truly outcast, though it was self-enforced. Trying desperately to steel herself to the decision, she set a course for Earth, putting the ship on auto pilot.

Then, in the silence and solitude, she buried her face in her hands and let herself cry. She felt her body slip into its natural form, filling the seat, but she did not bother to change it. Maintaining a shapeshifted body required an amount of control and concentration. It was possible to keep a form like this even during sleep, if one was trained well enough; the only time every Skrull lost control and reverted was when they were knocked unconscious. And at this moment, Xavin did not feel she could control anything.

She did not notice a pair of barely open blue-tinged rainbow eyes watching her, or see the tears that fell down her lover's face in response to her own.

* * *

They were on Earth for only a few hours before tragedy almost struck again. During the fight to rescue Molly from Geoffrey Wilder, things turned bad, and Karolina almost lost a friend she had just regained.

Chase clung to Gert, cradling her to him as she lay against Old Lace and fought to transfer their connection to him. He was not willing to let her go, but she seemed sure that she had no choice.

She looked up at him through blurring eyes, her breath coming lightly but with difficulty. "Chase Stein, I have always…"

The door burst open, interrupting what may have been Gertrude Yorkes' final words. Nico sprinted over to them, ignoring the flames around her. She stifled a scream when she saw what had happened. Chase looked up, opening his mouth to scream back, to beg her to save Gert's life, but no sound came out.

Nico knelt down beside them, clutching the Staff of One in one hand. With the other, she reached forward and pulled the knife from Gertrude's stomach. Acting without thought, she pressed her hand against the wound. As she watched the blood ooze between her fingers, she called upon the power of her weapon and said softly, "_**Heal**_," praying it was not too late.

Seconds passed like hours, until finally, Gert coughed, the force of it shaking her body. Nico removed her hand as Gert drew in deep breaths, finding that though the blood remained, the wound had healed and her friend's skin now looked as smooth as if nothing had happened.

Chase let out a relieved sob, and pulled Gert close to him, clinging to her. She tried to wrap her arms around him, but as soon as she moved, she found herself passing out. Nico placed a hand across her forehead, tears running down her cheeks.

"Gert?" Chase whispered, then realizing she was only unconscious, he relaxed. He looked up at Nico, and smiled weakly. "…Thank you."

"Like I wouldn't have anyway," she said, the softness of her own voice surprising her. Suddenly, she let out a cry of pain as the Staff of One was re-absorbed into her body. She stood then, wiping her bloodied hands on her already soiled clothes. "Come on, we still need to sort this out."

He nodded, and stood, carrying Gert carefully as he whistled to Old Lace, who got up and followed him. He made a mental note to transfer the link back to her later. As Nico hurried out the door, minding the fire that consumed the building, he kept pace behind her, trying not to trip over anything as he stared at his girlfriend's face. He silently thanked a god he didn't believe in that she was still here, and promised himself that he would tell her he loved her every single day from then on, no matter what.

Knocked unconscious during their fight with the new Pride, Karolina woke to find Xavin staring down at her, in her female form. She smiled, concern still etched across her face, and helped her to sit up.

"Are you all right, beloved?"

"Yes," Karolina answered. "Is it over?"

Xavin nodded. "It is, although it almost ended badly." She explained, then, what Chase had told them when Nico led him out of the burning structure, carrying Gertrude in his arms.

Karolina's face fell, and she looked around, finding Gert still unconscious on the ground nearby as Chase and Molly watched over her. She flew over to them, making absolutely sure that she was really fine, and hugged her friend tight. Chase put a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled sadly at him.

"We must have cursed you by coming back here," she whispered, tears rolling down her face.

He shook his head. "No, its okay. She's alive." But his tone of voice was not as convincing.

Xavin joined her then, and she let go of Gert to wrap herself in her girlfriend's arms. They all watched as Nico and Victor interrogated Geoffrey Wilder. He was tied to a tree nearby, and only a few minutes passed before Nico decided they were finished, biting herself to draw blood and pulling the Staff of One out of her chest. She cast a spell, though Karolina and Xavin could not hear the word, and Wilder vanished.

Her body drooping with exhaustion, Nico walked over to the group of them, Victor following her as the new Pride disbanded and left them in peace.

"Let's go home," she ordered. "I think we all might need, oh, a few years' sleep."

Xavin insisted on taking Gert from Chase, but he would not hand her over, carrying her to the Leapfrog himself even though he was clearly the more tired than the alien. He did let Victor pilot, however, and everyone settled in as the android cloaked the vehicle and they headed back to the base. Karolina looked over her family, this odd group of friends who had accepted her back into their fold even though she had left them, then up at the woman holding her in her arms. It had been an awful day – catastrophic, even. Hardly what anyone would dream of for their wedding. But Gert was still alive, and they were safe here, even though their plans for peace had ended. They would both have to learn to be content with that, and though she still felt the pain of what had happened, she couldn't help feeling that they would.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Note** – Okay, so this is obviously where it gets REALLY alternate-universey. Though I wasn't angry about it, I was upset that Gert was killed off. This was slightly AU already anyway, since Joss Whedon's depiction of Xavin's natural form probably isn't fat (I honestly haven't gotten that far in the comic yet, but I read about how he did that, and I think it is awesome that he solidified the lesbian-ness of Xavin and Karolina's relationship). So I guess since I had already started changing things, I figured I might as well change this too. There should be one or two more chapters after this, the next one dealing with body image more as Gert heals and Xavin and Chase talk about women and size. Hopefully I will not disappoint o


	4. Chapter 4

**True Forms** – a _Runaways_ AU

By Lady Comet

_Disclaimer_ – none of these characters belong to me, they are already the property of Marvel comics and the people who created them. If they were mine, though, things would totally happen this way.

_Spoilers_ - …for pretty much everything after the Pride is defeated. Sorry that's so nonspecific, but hey, I need to cover my ass.

_Note_ – do NOT read this if you are anti-fat, homophobic, or otherwise prejudiced. I change a few canon things to reflect what I'd like to see, in both the origins of certain characters and their fates, creating my own little Alternate Universe for them. If you're still cool with that, read on, and I hope you like.

* * *

True Forms – Part 4

Later that night, after everyone had settled back into their lair below the tar pits, Xavin made himself invisible and flew alone to where the spaceship had crash landed. He checked it over again, making absolutely sure that it was beyond repair. Though he knew he could not return to his people, especially with Karolina, it was hard to let go of the dream he had been working for his entire life. He had denied his very self for it; and while he had not spent enough time on Tarnax VII to feel the loss of that place, his people had been his home. They would see his retreat as betrayal, and no matter what he did now, he would never be able to return to them.

Thinking of his Majesdanian love and using that feeling to strengthen his resolve, he turned his arm to stone and smashed the cockpit's console, destroying the technology that would allow someone to track the vehicle. Their relationship was not perfect by any means, but he loved Karolina more than anything, and she was everything to him now. Cloaking himself in invisibility again and taking to the air to return to her, he vowed to do his best to make this place, this Earth, the best home for them both.

* * *

When he got back, he found Karolina asleep in the room Nico had offered them. He leaned over, shifting into female human form, and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled but did not wake, and he left her there, wondering what kind of food these Earthlings ate as he shifted back to his male form and headed for the kitchen. The technology there was much different from what he was used to, but he searched the strange compartments, pulling out boxes and bags filled with substances he did not recognize.

"There's some leftover pizza in the fridge," a strained voice offered from somewhere behind him. Instinctively his arm flamed up as he whirled around to face the intruder.

Chase looked up at him from the table, his eyes red from tears, a beer can cradled in his hands.

Xavin relaxed, dismissing the fire, and nodded. "What is pizza?"

"In the big square box on the bottom shelf," he explained. "Should still be good, Victor nicked it from a delivery guy just last week. But don't eat it if its got anything green on it."

"Hmm." He located the fridge, searching for the odd food, and pulled out the box Chase described. He opened it, looking with interest at the half-circle of flat triangles. "…Thanks."

Chase gulped down the rest of the beer in his can, crushed it, and stood up to get another. "Yeah. Want a beer too? Beer is good."

"All right."

Xavin pulled a slice of pizza from the box and took the cold can the young man offered him, mimicking his action of popping the tab to open it. They both sat down at the table, awkward in the companionship. Chase glugged down half his can as Xavin watched him. He took a sip then, his face scrunching up as the liquid slid down his throat.

"This tastes like poison."

"Its not poison, its beer," the other boy said, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Alcohol. You know what that is, right?"

He thought for a moment, then replied, "Yes, we have…had, similar substances back home. But I was not aware it was available to young people in your culture."

"Its not. But I turn eighteen in a couple weeks, and I figure after what I've seen, I'm old enough."

"Where did you get it?"

"I snuck out in the leapfrog after Nico went to bed and stole it from a shopping cart outside the grocery store." He glared across the table at him. "That good enough for you, Mr. 20 Questions? Or is it "Miss"?"

He frowned back at him. "I was not aware that my gender would matter to _everyone_ on this team. It should be a matter of concern only to my betrothed."

"Hmph," Chase replied, finishing his drink in one gulp. "You need another?"

"No."

He shrugged, stood up, and went back to the fridge. As their backs were turned to each other, the alien prince ventured a question, knowing in a way he was testing this man he was expected to cooperate with. "Why were you crying, Chase? Your Gertrude is alive, is she not?"

The can popped open, and Chase slid back into his seat, looking frustrated and hurt. "God, do you feel _anything_? I almost lost her!"

"But you did not."

"Well, its not something I can forget. And its not like I wanted anyone to walk in on me like this." He fixed his eyes on Xavin's, trying to stare him down. "You're not going to tell anyone."

"Of course not," Xavin replied, staring back at him with equal intensity. "I know what it is to want to hide one's weaknesses. And you forget, I lost an entire people today."

Chase looked away, muttering something Xavin assumed was an apology. He quietly took another sip of his beer, though it tasted horrible, and started eating the pizza. That sat in silence for a few moments, each apparently lost in his own thoughts.

Then Chase said, suddenly, "She broke up with me because she thought I would dump her for being fat."

"Excuse me?" Xavin replied, startled out of his reverie.

Dirty blonde hair fell over Chase's face as he stared down into his drink, but he kept talking. "Before Karolina came back, that new Pride showed Gert that Nico kissed me a while back. I didn't want her to, but it didn't matter. Gert flipped, and she said she knew it wasn't going to last between us cause of how she looks. I tried to stop her, but she doesn't get it. This freak show we live in convinced her that she wasn't good enough for me cause she doesn't look like girls are supposed to look or whatever." He chuckled, and it sounded painful. "While all the time I was sure I wasn't good enough for her."

Watching him in confusion, Xavin struggled to listen, wondering why of all people the "Talkback" was confiding in him. "…What do you mean, "like girls are supposed to look"?" he asked.

"You've seen all the billboards and ads around here, right? I know your first time here, you were chasing us, and today we were running to rescue Molly, but they're everywhere. You must have noticed."

He nodded.

"Well, all those girls on them are skinny, aren't they?"

He nodded again.

"That's what our…well, "culture" says women should look like. All women. And I totally fell for it too, I used to think Karolina was the hottest shit because of how thin she is," he explained.

"What?!"

Chase sat up, holding his hands up in a gesture of defense. "No no, don't get me wrong, I don't want her anymore and I know she's off limits. I was just saying." He waited for Xavin to relax, then continued. "Anyway, I've thought about this "beauty" stuff a lot ever since me and Gert got together. She's so smart, and funny in a bitter way, and just…amazing. But she thinks she's not attractive because her body is bigger than what those ads and everything tells her it should be."

Xavin leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and tried not to look as interested as he really was. "Yes, and?"

"Well, I never told her, but in all that thinking I figured out that I really like her…no, _love_ her the way she is. She's beautiful. The hottest girl I've ever seen." A smirk played across his lips, like he was remembering something, but Xavin didn't ask about it.

"So, some men in this world like women who have bigger bodies?" he asked instead.

Chase nodded, taking another long draft of his beer.

"What about women?"

"Huh?" he replied, putting the can down. "What d'you mean?"

Knowing immediately that he had crossed a line he shouldn't have, Xavin shook his head, finishing the last of his pizza. "Never mind. I was just…curious." He stood, leaving his unfinished drink where it was. "I should go. Karolina will be missing me."

"Okay," Chase said, obviously still confused. "G'night."

"Good night," Xavin replied, and hurried out of the kitchen. As he walked back to the room Karolina still slept in, he shifted into the female appearance she was so used to. Over and over in her mind, she repeated what Chase had said, and found herself wrapping her thin arms around her tiny waist. A hope rose within her, but she pushed it aside as she opened the door, closing it softly behind her as she crossed the room and curled up against the bright body she loved so much.

She decided, drifting off to sleep, that she should talk to Gertrude about this as soon as she was well. They might have much more in common than she suspected.

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 5

**True Forms** – a _Runaways_ AU

By Lady Comet

_Disclaimer_ – none of these characters belong to me, they are already the property of Marvel comics and the people who created them. If they were mine, though, things would totally happen this way.

_Spoilers_ - …for pretty much everything after the Pride is defeated. Sorry that's so nonspecific, but hey, I need to cover my ass.

_Note_ – do NOT read this if you are anti-fat, homophobic, or otherwise prejudiced. I change a few canon things to reflect what I'd like to see, in both the origins of certain characters and their fates, creating my own little Alternate Universe for them. If you're still cool with that, read on, and I hope you like.

* * *

True Forms – Part 5

The next few days passed slowly as Gert recovered from her near-death experience and everyone else relaxed. Crime in their area was mercifully scarce, so most team members spent their days inside the lair. Nico and Victor dedicated themselves to continuing the redecoration, still determined to make the space their own instead of the Pride's. Chase brooded, checking on Gert at least every five minutes, and transferred their bond back to her once she felt well enough for it. Karolina spent most of her time in her "human" form, walking the streets of LA and getting used to being back on Earth. She invited Xavin to join her, but she refused, insisting she wanted to keep trying to beat Molly at _Risk _after her first disastrous attempt. Molly was more than happy to oblige, so the two of them spent most of the week across the table from one another, trying their best to conquer an imaginary world. Of course, Xavin was just biding her time until Gertrude felt better. Even though Chase was spending time with her, the snarky young woman still slept a lot; much of her energy had been taken by what almost happened to her. Xavin was impatient, but understood that there was nothing she could do. Besides, she was enjoying her time with Molly, even if she couldn't win the blasted game.

"Aaaaaaand that's all of the Americas for me," Molly grinned triumphantly, pushing her little plastic men across the board.

Xavin sighed. "No matter what I do, child, you always best me at this. I think you are cheating."

"Nuh uh, it's all talent," she insisted.

"But my people have conquered _real_ worlds, and I cannot conquer these…cardboard ones at all!"

Molly made a pensive, slightly annoyed face. "Well maybe you shouldn't be conquering _real_ worlds at all."

Feeling insulted, Xavin opened her mouth to retaliate, but was stopped as the room brightened and a pair of rainbow glowing arms slid around her shoulders from behind. She turned her head and found her lips close to a very bright smile.

"It's good to see you staying like this more," Karolina noted.

"Well, Molly also prefers my female form," she explained. "I gather she would rather have more sisters than brothers."

"Yeah," Molly chimed in, then stopped and pointed to a pile of bags on the other end of the table. "Karolina, what's that?"

"Groceries," she answered. "Wanna help me put them away?"

Molly shrugged, but got up immediately and started unpacking. After the first few bags she said, "Wow, there's a lot here. Did we really have this much money?"

"Well…" Karolina smiled sheepishly, and bit her lip. "Not exactly."

Just then, Victor and Nico entered the room, Staff of One in hand and covered in paint. "Not exactly what?" Nico asked, eyeing the groceries as Victor set about helping Molly.

"I, um, got us some more money."

Xavin quirked an eyebrow. "How, beloved?"

Karolina sat down beside her, playing with the hem of her skirt. "I…I broke into my old house. No one's living there right now, so I didn't think I'd really be trespassing, even though it was locked –"

"Kar, that was dangerous!" Nico gasped. "What if the police are keeping an eye out on our houses?"

She shrugged, then continued. "Anyway, my parents had a safe in the basement, hidden in the wall behind this big photo of James Dean."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"I'm not. I know it sounds ridiculously obvious, but its there. I found it when I was 7, and caught my Dad putting something in there once when I was 9. I figured they had been keeping something valuable in it, and we might be able to sell it now so we can, you know, keep eating? And I know you don't like stealing any more than I do." She reached into the bag that was slung across her shoulder to her hip, pulling out a bulging envelope. "Well, I was right," she said very matter-of-factly, opening the envelope to display a massive stack of bills inside.

"Holy…" said Victor, peering over the counter. "How much is in there?"

"Three thousand dollars," she answered. "Actually, a little less now, cause of the groceries."

Nico took the envelope from her friend, staring at it with wide eyes. "…Why on earth would your parents hide money? They were _made_ of money!"

"I have no idea." She sighed. "Considering what they were planning to do, it was probably some kind of a bribe. I wish I could say they were saving up for my college education, but we all know they didn't think they needed to plan for that."

As Xavin asked Karolina what her parents had been planning and she turned to answer, Nico set to counting all the money, laying out neat piles on the counter before her. It was still unbelievable. Molly and Victor watched her, but she paid them no attention.

"She's right," she said finally. "They look the same as normal bills, too."

"They are normal bills," Karolina chimed in. "At least I think so. The cashier didn't give me any trouble."

"God, I feel like we should feel guilty or something." Victor restlessly ran a hand through his hair. "Like it's not really ours, you know, and we should give it away."

"It _isn't_ ours," Nico said.

"Yes, it is," Karolina replied. "I'm their daughter, and they're gone, so it should pass to me. If I hadn't found it, it would have just sat in that safe gathering dust." She still looked a bit uncomfortable, but her face was set in firm resolution. "Would you rather we go back to stealing our food?"

Nico sighed. "No."

The Majesdanian stood up, gliding across the room to stand next to her friend. "Then I say we should keep it. At least it will be going to a good cause, since we try to protect this city…you guys still do that, right?"

She smiled. "Yeah."

"Good," she smiled back. "Now –"

A low, long whistle interrupted her, and they all looked over to see Chase standing in the doorway, his arms braced on either side as he stared at the thick rectangular piles on the counter. "Hell, which bank did we knock off?"

Molly put her hands on her hips. "Karolina found it in her house! We don't steal…well, not anymore."

He grinned. "Guess not. Anyway, I have even better news."

"What's that?" Nico asked.

"This." He stepped aside, revealing a familiar purple-haired figure behind him. She looked clearly annoyed at the theatrics. "Guess who's back in action!" he exclaimed, making a wide sweeping gesture with his arms.

"You're an idiot," she muttered.

He just grinned and wrapped an arm around her as she stepped into the kitchen.

Xavin sighed as everyone converged on Gertrude, asking how she was feeling. She assured them that she was fine, and set about making coffee as Molly, Victor and Karolina put the rest of the groceries away. Nico put the money back into its envelope before Chase could get close to it. She then turned to Karolina, handing it to her.

"There should be somewhere to keep valuables here," she said. "We should probably find it, and put this there."

"Oh, I found that last week," Molly said. "It's this weird box with lots of sides that's hidden in the portrait of our parents. I said that 'philoprogenitiveness' word and it came out of this weird vortex, and just floated there, and I tried for ages to figure out what it does. Then, well, I actually cut myself on one of the edges, and it opened. It was empty, but it looks like you'd keep stuff in it."

"Sounds like something your parents made," Karolina said to Nico, and she shrugged.

"We should probably test it on something first," Victor suggested.

Molly scooped up a handful of the Risk pieces. "How about these?"

"Perfect," said Karolina. She walked over to the table, trailing her hand along Xavin's arm as she passed her, and joined Molly on the opposite side. "How about we go give it a try?"

"Okay," the young mutant replied cheerfully, and grabbed her 'sister's hand to drag her off in that direction. Xavin smiled and waved at them as they left the room, then turned back to the others. Gert was getting a mug ready as the coffee finished brewing, while Chase rooted through the cupboards, looking for something unknown amongst the new food. Nico and Victor were talking quietly near the doorway, and while she couldn't really hear their words, the fact that Nico laughed and hit the android playfully on the arm signified that the conversation was a happy one. _If machines can feel happiness, that is, _she thought. Nico took Victor's hand then, pulling him back out the doorway to continue the redecoration. As she watched them go, Xavin found herself wondering if there might be something real there after all, and surprised herself in that.

A few moments later, Gert turned her attention to the fridge, pulling out a very random assortment of vegetables, synthetic proteins, and other foodstuffs Karolina had thought to purchase.

"What's that for?" Chase asked.

"Old Lace," she answered. "She's hungry."

"What, did she tell you?"

"No." She rolled her eyes. "I can feel what she feels, remember? I thought you'd have gotten used to that, or at least picked that much up."

He smiled. "Hey, I only had her for a few days, thank goodness."

She smiled back, putting the food in one of the abandoned grocery bags and picked up her coffee with the other hand. She leaned upward and kissed Chase quickly, but it was deep, and anyone who noticed would have seen in that gesture her awareness of what had almost happened. Then she turned and headed for the door as he went back to foraging.

Xavin stood up just as she passed. "Gertrude, if you don't mind, could I have a word?"

"What for?" she asked.

She cast her eyes nervously around the room. "It's…complicated. Please?"

Taking another long draw from her mug, Gert studied Xavin over the rim of her glasses. She put the mug down, smacked her lips slightly, and said, "…All right."

She continued out the door then, and Xavin followed, hoping that the purple-haired girl would understand and be able to help.

* * *

"Philoprogenitiveness**,"** Karolina said, standing in front of the portrait of the Pride. Molly stood behind her, cradling the game pieces in her hands.

Just as the girl had described, a small vortex formed in the center of the painting, and out floated the container. Very carefully, she reached out and took it, minding the sharp edges that Molly had cut herself on.

"Um, you do have to bleed to get it to open, remember?" Molly told her.

"I know," she replied as she turned it around in her hands. "I just wanted to get a look at it first." After only a minute, she stopped, and sucked in her breath as she ran a fingertip along one of the edges. There was sharp pain, but the blood spilled there, and an opening was created. "All right. Put the figures in, Mol."

The young mutant leaned forward and let the little plastic pieces spill into the hole. Seconds later it closed again, and Karolina raised it back up to the vortex, which pulled it back into the painting. The colors of the portrait swirled back together, looking like nothing had happened.

"What now?" Molly asked.

"Now we wait a minute before we pull it back out again." Karolina sat down, staring up at the wall of images. Stretching, Molly looked around the room.

"…You know," she said after a few moments of relative silence, "I'm surprised Nico and Victor haven't attacked _this_ place more. I thought they'd want to take down those pictures."

Karolina sighed. "Well, I'd imagine that's hard, Mol. It's not like any of us wanted to lose our parents."

"That's not what I meant," she mumbled, staring awkwardly down at the water. Eventually she sat down next to her alien friend, stretching out across the floor. "It's just that Nico and Victor have been spending a _lot _of time together lately, and, well, they keep looking at each other…weird."

"Oh?" Karolina said, but it wasn't really a question. She knew what Molly meant, and she had noticed it too. It seemed that Victor was filling the space in Nico's heart that she had once wanted to fill. Her surprise, however, wasn't in that. It was that she didn't feel hurt by it.

When she had come back, and Nico had embraced her with such desperation and relief, she had felt a surge of those feelings come back despite the love she had for Xavin. Those feelings had rekindled desire when Xavin had come to her disguised as Nico, trying to seduce her in that form. She loved Xavin more than anything, but her attraction to Nico was a fact of her past, and, she thought, of her present. But now, hearing Molly point out what she had been noticing, she realized that those feelings were just memories. Nico was her best friend, and she had wanted more once. Xavin, however, had changed that, and given her something greater than what she may have had with Nico – herself.

"'Lina bean? You okay?"

Molly's voice brought her back to reality, and she nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I am."

"Hmm," Molly wondered, but then shrugged and looked back up at the massive portrait before them. "Think it's been long enough?"

"Hopefully." She stood up, again saying the often-used password. The vortex formed, producing the container, and she let her wound reopen as she pulled it to her. Again an opening formed, and they both peered inside.

To their relief, the Risk figures sat in the bottom, just as they left them.

Karolina reached in to pull them out, placing them in Molly's waiting hands. Then she carefully put the envelope inside, and once the container resealed itself, she put it back in the vortex, which closed around it.

"Sooo, do _you_ wanna try beating me at Risk?" Molly asked.

"Sure," Karolina laughed, and they headed back to the kitchen.

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6

**True Forms** – a _Runaways_ AU

By Lady Comet

_Disclaimer_ – none of these characters belong to me, they are already the property of Marvel comics and the people who created them. If they were mine, though, things would totally happen this way.

_Spoilers_ - …for pretty much everything after the Pride is defeated. Sorry that's so nonspecific, but hey, I need to cover my ass.

_Note_ – do NOT read this if you are anti-fat, homophobic, or otherwise prejudiced. I change a few canon things to reflect what I'd like to see, in both the origins of certain characters and their fates, creating my own little Alternate Universe for them. If you're still cool with that, read on, and I hope you like.

* * *

True Forms – Part 6

Gert led Xavin through the labyrinthine halls of their underground home, stopping at last at the room she and Chase shared. Old Lace looked up from the nest she had made of the bed as the door opened.

"Down, girl," she said firmly, and the dinosaur hopped off the mattress. She circled around a large metal dish on the floor nearby and her master stooped to put her dinner in it. As Old Lace ate, Gert sat down on the floor beside her. She looked expectantly up at Xavin, who had propped herself against the closed door. "…Well?"

Xavin liked to tell herself that the reason she always lost _Risk_ to Molly was because she was preparing herself for this conversation. But in truth, she still had no idea what to say. As a prince of conquerors, advice-seeking was not her strongest point, and nothing she had come up with over the last few days seemed any good. "I need to…tell…Karolina something," she said finally. "However, I would like your advice first, if you are willing to give it."

"Ooookay," the purple-haired girl replied, clearly puzzled. "What do you need to tell her?"

"This." Xavin tried to hold her head high, to show pride, but she found herself looking at the ground as she shapeshifted into her natural form to best answer her teammate. It was swift, and when it was over, she raised her eyes to see the other woman's reaction.

Her expression hadn't changed much, but her eyebrows were raised in surprise. She was silent for only a few seconds. "So, you're really a _woman_?"

"Yes." She lifted her head up almost defiantly. "Though that does not matter as much in my culture as it does in yours."

"Hmm," Gert replied. "And the problem is…?"

Xavin sighed. "Well, I'm…_large_, and I do not know how Karolina will react to such a body. She is so very thin, and while I love her shape as it is, I fear having such a form and living in this culture will have taught her to hate bodies like the one I truly have. However, I no longer wish to hide my true self from her. I was a prince, a man, because it was what my people were used to. Now that they are gone, I would like to learn how to be myself."

Gertrude stood up, patting her strange pet on the shoulder, and sat down on the end of the bed amidst the disheveled covers. "Sit down," she said.

Xavin crossed the room and sat beside her.

As she adjusted her glasses, she gave the alien another look-over. "Okay, this is all I can really say to you," she began. "Yes, you are a fat girl. Yes, this culture hates fat. Even more than it hates the French sometimes. But it's not the end of the world. There are anti-fat messages everywhere, but that doesn't mean that everyone listens to them. I assumed that everyone did, too, and I almost ruined a good relationship because of it. So I don't listen anymore." She smiled. "And don't assume that Karolina listens just because she's thin. That means shit. Chase is thin, and _I_ was the one who dumped _him_ cause of my weight."

She nodded. "Can you recall anything Karolina has said about body size?"

Gert thought for a moment. "Back when we first ran away, she used to be sensitive to comments made about her own body. Like if anyone called her "bigger" than something. But after a while, she stopped doing that, and she didn't make any more comments like those in any of the transmissions she sent us from space. And I don't remember her ever saying anything about anyone else being too fat or gaining too much weight. It's like she avoided that subject all together."

Xavin nodded again, slowly, processing the information. "Then…do you think there is hope?"

"Hope?" Gert chuckled. "I think that you need to be yourself, Xavin. Stop worrying about what your girlfriend thinks. If she loves you, she'll love you no matter what."

At that, she couldn't help but smirk. "That seems a bit more…oh, what is the word? _Romantic_. A bit more romantic than you seem."

"Yeah. I have my moments."

The 'prince' stood up, shifting back into her usual human female form as she did so. She nodded to Old Lace, who had finished eating, and then at the young woman on the bed. "Thank you, Gertrude. You have helped much."

"Please just call me Gert."

"Thank you…Gert."

She smiled. "Good. So when do you think you're going to show Karolina?"

"Soon," she answered, with only a bit of hesitation. "I just need to gather the courage first."

"Right. You've faced bloodshed and war, but this is scarier." She watched silently as the alien opened the door to leave, then said, "Oh, and Xavin?"

She turned back around, looking puzzled.

"You're welcome," Gert smiled, and she smiled back as she left the room.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly, and after dinner, Xavin went looking for Molly. She found the girl reading comics in her room, the door slightly ajar. She peeked in and knocked on the doorframe, smiling as Molly looked up and grinned to see her there.

"What's up?" she asked. "Want me to beat you at board games again?"

"No," she answered, opening the door wider. "I actually came to ask for your help."

Confusion filled the young mutant's features and she sat up on her bed. "With what?"

"…I need to borrow some money from the safe."

"Ummmm, shouldn't you just ask Karolina for it? Or Nico?"

"Karolina is already asleep," came the matter-of-fact reply. "And I do not wish to bother Nico with this."

Molly put on an exaggerated air of thinking, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her chin with one finger. Eventually she shrugged. "Okay, but on one condition."

"Yes?"

"You take me with you."

"What makes you think I am going anywhere?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, you can't spend money _here_."

Xavin sighed. "Curse your intelligence, child."

Molly laughed, jumping off the bed to join her in the doorway. "So, where are we going?"

The alien poked her head back out into the hall, checking for any bystanders or eavesdroppers. Finding none, she turned back to her young friend, and said quietly, "Starbucks."

"Yes!" Molly squealed. "I get to have coffee!"

Hurriedly, Xavin shushed her, and ushered her out the door. "I said you could come with me, not that I would buy you anything."

The child pouted, then turned her mouth into a wicked grin. "I'm your source of cash, though. If I don't get coffee, you don't get coffee."

Xavin groaned. Trying to find a loophole in Molly's desire for caffeine, she steered the girl down the hall and toward the Pride's portrait. "…Nico should not have cast that spell on you."

_To be continued…._

* * *

Note – I know it seems like the battle with the giant-monster-man-who-crushed-all-the-Starbucks might not have happened in this AU, but I loved that Nico cast a caffeine spell on Molly, so we'll say that was one of the few missions they went on while Gert was recovering…and that Molly did not ask for a _diet_ soda afterward. Also, while I don't support many many many of Starbucks' practices, I think Xavin's love of the caramel macchiato is hilarious, so that has to make an appearance.

Only one chapter to go. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far, and I hope you'll like the ending :)


	7. Chapter 7

**True Forms** – A _Runaways_ AU

by Lady Comet

_Disclaimer_ – none of these characters belong to me, they are already the property of Marvel Comics and the people who created them. If they were mine, though, things would totally happen this way.

_Spoilers_ - …for pretty much everything after the Pride is defeated. Sorry that's so non-specific, but hey, I need to cover my ass.

_Note_ – do NOT read this is you are anti-fat, homophobic, or otherwise prejudiced. I change a few canon things to reflect what I'd like to see, in both the origins of certain characters and their fates, creating my own little Alternate Universe for them. If you're still cool with that, read on, and I hope you like.

* * *

True Forms – part 7

"Courage," of course, meant at least three caramel macchiatos and a rice crispy bar. Xavin sipped her last one as they headed back home, eyeing Molly, who happily sipped her own drink and kept pace beside her. She had tried to dissuade the child, to convince her to get one of their few non-caffeinated options, but in the end Molly had insisted on a green tea frappucino. It made Xavin a bit uncomfortable that the drink's bright green hue was so close to her natural skin color, but she kept that to herself.

Instead, she asked, "Are you satisfied?"

"Mmhmm," Molly answered. "Its kinda…weird, but good weird, and its not as intense as Nico's spell, but still pretty awesome. I feel so awake!"

"Right." She wondered, and not for the first time that night, how upset everyone was going to be with her for giving the 11-year-old caffeine. She reminded herself, however, that Molly had insisted and she had needed someone's help to get into the "safe." If her suspicions were correct, any of the Pride's children could open it because they shared their parents' blood. This also meant that neither she nor Victor would ever open it, even if they said the complicated password correctly. She had thought about asking Gert for help, but decided against it, not wanting to bother her further. She did not want to share her problems with Nico or Chase, and Karolina obviously was not an option. Besides, Molly was the closest to her of the entire group, aside from Karolina, and she knew the child would not ask why she had needed this.

When they finally reached the tar pits, Xavin created a force-field bridge for them to walk out to the center on, then turned that bridge into a sphere around them. She turned herself invisible and told Molly to flatten herself against the bottom as she pushed the force-field into the tar. It rose up around them just as it rose around the Leapfrog when they returned in it from missions, and soon they were safely back inside their base.

"Sure you don't wanna play a board game?" Molly asked, bouncing on her feet.

"I am sure," she said. "Why don't you go see if your ro-, er, if Victor does?"

"Okay!" the young mutant replied exuberantly, immediately racing down the hall to find her cybernetic friend. Xavin shook her head and headed after her, stopping at the door to her own room. She downed the rest of her drink, then slowly turned the handle.

The room was aglow with Karolina's natural light. She was still asleep, just as she had been before Xavin left the hideout. The alien 'prince' closed the door behind her, placing the empty cup on the dresser nearby, and crossed the room to sit beside her sleeping lover on the bed. She reached out and gently touched her shoulder. Karolina stirred, rolling over and opened her eyes.

She smiled. "…Hi."

"Hello, my love," she replied, leaning down to kiss her.

"Mmm, you taste like coffee."

"Yes, I needed Starbucks."

Karolina sat up, stretching. "Needed?" she echoed.

Xavin sighed. "Yes. Beloved, there is something I need to show you."

She looked puzzled. "What?"

The darker woman stood, standing beside the bed while her girlfriend stared at her in confusion. "I have shown you many forms, my dearest. However…I have yet to show you what I _truly_ look like. I mean, of course, the body I was born with; the one I revert to when I am not shapeshifting." Karolina opened her mouth to speak, but Xavin held up a hand to silence her. "Please, do not respond until I have shown you. Please." At the desperation in her voice, Karolina nodded her head, and watched silently as Xavin began to change.

She shifted first into a thin female Skrull form, her features them same as they would have been except for the weight difference. Then she slowly began adding pounds, her eyes fixed on Karolina to gauge her reaction. The Majesdanian's expression remained serious, but curious, no judgment showing yet at all. This confused Xavin, but she kept going, refusing to show any weakness by closing her eyes or looking away. After a few painstakingly silent minutes, she finally stood there as she really was.

Karolina continued to stare at her, taking in every inch of this reality. Finally she said, "…You _are_ really a woman?"

Xavin relaxed, both in body and soul. "Yes, I am. It does not matter as much to me, but I have always been female."

Karolina floated off the bed, then, and up to the woman who had been her fiancé and was still her love. She reached forward to take both of her hands, entwining their fingers. "You are beautiful," she whispered, and leaned forward to kiss her deeply.

"Then, you don't mind?"

"Mind what?"

Xavin blushed uncharacteristically. "What I look like."

She smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. I love you, no matter what." Then she bit her lip. "Actually, I have a confession to make too…I _kinda _already knew."

Her expression turned blank in surprise. "You did?"

"Yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck, looking slightly embarrassed. "Remember how I slept through part of the trip here? Well, I woke up at one point and heard you crying, so I opened my eyes and saw you like this. I didn't know what to make of it, and I'd never seen you cry before, so I acted like a coward and pretended to still be asleep. And later, obviously, I decided not to mention it. It was just so…private, and I didn't want to intrude."

"Love, you would not have been intruding," Xavin insisted. "My heart is open to you."

"I know," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I am sorry I did not _show_ you, before."

They lay down together on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms. Xavin sighed. "I had feared this all week. I almost cannot believe it's real."

Karolina chuckled. "Am I really _that_ scary?"

"No…well, not always," she smiled, and the thin girl beside her hit her playfully with a pillow. She laughed, and grabbed it from her, but then her expression turned to worry again. "I just…I was afraid you would not like me like this."

Aware of where this was going, Karolina sat up, looking down at her love in seriousness. "Xavin, honey, just because I used to want Nico, who is very skinny, doesn't mean that's the only kind of body I could ever want. Before I met you, I admit I wasn't that positive about weight. But I think that's because I hated myself, my own body, so much. I wanted to disappear, and I saw thinness as being as close as I could get." She picked up Xavin's hand in both of hers, pressing it against her cheek. "But you taught me how to love myself, Xavin. I don't need to disappear anymore. And neither do you." She reached forward and trailed one of her hands along the Skrull's face. "Besides," she smiled, "you're so soft."

Xavin reached up and pulled Karolina back to her, kissing her with a relief she had feared she would never feel. Time passed as they remained engrossed in one another. Then finally Karolina sat up again, staring down lovingly into her girlfriend's face.

"So, what do we do now?"

Xavin grinned. "Well, I did have three caramel macchiatos. I am not going to sleep anytime soon."

She laughed. "And I did just take a nap. Fully energized and all that jazz."

"Good," Xavin replied. She pulled Karolina back down into her kisses, feeling truly secure for the first time in her life.

_End_

* * *

_Notes _– Ta da, that's it! I hadn't originally planned a number of chapters for the story, but its good that it works out to be 7, since that's my favorite. This was a lot of fun to write, and fatgirl!Xavin is definitely close to my heart now.

I should explain, by the way, why I wrote this. I'm an artist, not a writer, by trade. And I do a fair amount of fanart. After I got the third hardcover _Runaways_ anthology (the last one by Brian Vaughn), I sat down and drew a picture of Karolina and Xavin, the latter in a fat female body. You can see that on my website, just search my gallery for "True Forms."

Then, in my obsessive fannism, I thought about how it might be possible for a fat female form to be Xavin's natural form. And I decided to write down what I came up with. This was partially inspired by what Joss Whedon did with Xavin and Karolina's relationship, but since I placed this before he took over, and his natural form for Xavin is thin, I wrote this as _I_ would have done it. Since that made it AU already, I decided to bring Gert back, since I love her and (while I understand why they killed her off) I wanted to make it so she survived. There is a lot of future stuff from the canon that I do like, and I might someday write more in this AU to weave that in, but for now I'm gonna let this rest. It does what I wanted it to and I am happy with it.

Finally, I need to give a shout out to Livejournal user fullmetal cute, who is participating in the Lover100 challenge and writing little Xavin/Karolina fics for it. I was really inspired by their writing of Xavin/Karolina as well. Thanks very much to them, and I highly suggest you go check them out at . Search for user "Lover100," then search for this tag - **b:pairing:runaways:xavin/krolina+dean** For some reason it won't let me put a direct link in here, and I apologize for that.

Thanks to everyone for reading, and if you like my work, please check out the rest of my Fanfiction!


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